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Kris Letang

#58 · Defence · Pittsburgh Penguins

Born Apr 24, 1987 in Montréal, Quebec, CAN (age 39) · 6'0", 199 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 62nd overall in 2005 by PIT (round 3)

Trophy case

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication 2022-23

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2011-12. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Kimmo Timonen PHI · 43 P in 76 GP Michael Del Zotto NYR · 41 P in 77 GP Kevin Shattenkirk STL · 43 P in 81 GP Keith Yandle PHX · 43 P in 82 GP Duncan Keith CHI · 40 P in 74 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

02040602006-07: 2 points206-072007-08: 17 points172008-09: 33 points3308-092009-10: 27 points272010-11: 50 points5010-112011-12: 42 points422012-13: 38 points3812-132013-14: 22 points222014-15: 54 points5414-152015-16: 67 points672016-17: 34 points3416-172017-18: 51 points512018-19: 56 points5618-192019-20: 44 points442020-21: 45 points4520-212021-22: 68 points682022-23: 41 points4122-232023-24: 51 points512024-25: 30 points3024-252025-26: 34 points342026-27: 3 points326-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2006-07 PIT 7 2 0 2 -3 4 8 8 0.29 $638K
2007-08 PIT 63 6 11 17 -1 23 68 79 0.27 $623K
2008-09 PIT 74 10 23 33 -7 24 138 111 0.45 $623K
2009-10 PIT 73 3 24 27 1 51 174 117 0.37 $623K
2010-11 PIT 82 8 42 50 15 101 236 167 0.61 $3.5M
2011-12 PIT 51 10 32 42 21 34 142 83 0.82 $3.5M
2012-13 PIT 35 5 33 38 16 8 95 45 1.09 $3.5M
2013-14 PIT 37 11 11 22 -8 16 108 43 0.59 $3.5M
2014-15 PIT 69 11 43 54 12 79 197 131 0.78 $7.25M
2015-16 PIT 71 16 51 67 9 66 218 135 0.94 $7.25M
2016-17 PIT 41 5 29 34 2 32 122 70 0.83 $7.25M
2017-18 PIT 79 9 42 51 -9 56 222 109 0.65 $7.25M
2018-19 PIT 65 16 40 56 13 48 206 116 0.86 $7.25M
2019-20 PIT 61 15 29 44 0 38 177 101 0.72 $7.25M
2020-21 PIT 55 7 38 45 19 32 132 92 0.82 $7.25M
2021-22 PIT 78 10 58 68 20 49 214 171 0.87 $7.25M
2022-23 PIT 64 12 29 41 -13 30 161 162 0.64 $6.1M
2023-24 PIT 82 10 41 51 13 62 164 137 0.62 $6.1M
2024-25 PIT 74 9 21 30 -15 52 164 120 0.41 $6.1M
2025-26 PIT 74 3 31 34 -4 38 104 95 0.46 $6.1M
2026-27 PIT 6 0 3 3 2 2 15 6 0.50 $6.1M
21 seasons Career 1241 178 631 809 83 845 3065 2098 0.65

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2007-08 PIT 16 0 2 2 5 12 14 25 0.13
2008-09 PIT 23 4 9 13 1 26 54 30 0.57
2009-10 PIT 13 5 2 7 -5 6 23 19 0.54
2010-11 PIT 7 0 4 4 0 10 28 19 0.57
2011-12 PIT 6 1 4 5 -1 21 15 11 0.83
2012-13 PIT 15 3 13 16 2 8 49 28 1.07
2013-14 PIT 13 2 4 6 2 14 29 19 0.46
2015-16 PIT 23 3 12 15 6 22 70 53 0.65
2017-18 PIT 12 3 8 11 0 15 25 23 0.92
2018-19 PIT 4 0 1 1 -3 2 14 11 0.25
2019-20 PIT 4 0 0 0 -2 0 12 7 0.00
2020-21 PIT 6 1 5 6 -2 6 15 30 1.00
2021-22 PIT 7 1 3 4 -3 0 19 15 0.57
2025-26 PIT 6 2 0 2 -2 20 11 11 0.33
14 seasons Playoffs 155 25 67 92 -2 162 378 301 0.59

2011-12 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
51 10 32 42 21 34 142 83 0.82 7.0 24:50

Contract

$3.5MCap hitends in 2014, then UFA
$83KCap dollars per point42 points in 51 games
$394KCap dollars per goal above replacement8.9 goals above replacement
$4.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$1MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 367 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar 30, 2010, as an extension of the contract he was on: 4 years and $14M, beginning in 2010-11. It runs through 2013-14, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2010-11 $3.5M $3.5M $0 $3.5M
2011-12 $3.5M $3.5M $0 $3.5M
2012-13 $3.5M $3.5M $0 $3.5M
2013-14 $3.5M $3.5M $0 $3.5M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Jul 7, 2022 Pittsburgh Penguins Extension (35+) 2022-23 to 2027-28 6 $36.6M $6.1M
Jul 1, 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins Extension 2014-15 to 2021-22 8 $58M $7.25M
Mar 30, 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins Extension 2010-11 to 2013-14 4 $14M $3.5M
Oct 2, 2006 Pittsburgh Penguins Entry-level 2007-08 to 2009-10 signed for 2006-07, slid 3 $2.505M $623K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2011-12 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2011-12 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+1.7Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.3Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+1.2Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence+0.7Even-strength defence+0.1Power play+0.4Penalty kill-0.1Penalties+0.1

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-5051015202010-112013-142016-172019-202022-232025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

59.9Corsi for %103 attempts for, 69 against
+5.4CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
64.9Expected goals for %4.7 expected for, 2.6 against
+13.4xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
62.5Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
60.0Goals for %6 for, 4 against
98.6PDO11.1% shooting + 87.5% saves
20Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

These are left plain: he has not been on the ice enough to be ranked. That takes at least 200 shot attempts with him out there, about six or seven games, and a quarter of what the busiest skater has. Over a game or two these numbers are mostly chance.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Paul Martin · Kris Letang334:1660.366.43-2
Brooks Orpik · Kris Letang626:1157.455.52-1
Kris Letang · Brian Strait37:3450.061.11-0
Matt Niskanen · Kris Letang36:4985.797.80-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

1Goalsnot counting empty-netters
1.3Expected goalsfrom 25 unblocked attempts
-0.3Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.59 expected goals per 60 minutes98th
Shot quality 5.4% chance per attempt98th
Finishing -0.3 goals above expected39thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 56 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.51Expected 1.3Goals 1

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 7, 2012 vs PHI W 4-2 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 22:31
Apr 5, 2012 vs NYR W 5-2 1 1 2 3 4 2 0 23:47
Apr 3, 2012 @ BOS W 5-3 0 3 3 0 0 4 1 24:30
Apr 1, 2012 vs PHI L 4-6 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 27:58
Mar 25, 2012 vs NJD W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 3 5 22:10
Mar 24, 2012 @ OTT L 4-8 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 24:00
Mar 22, 2012 vs NSH W 5-1 0 2 2 2 0 0 4 23:50
Mar 20, 2012 vs WPG W 8-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 24:25
Mar 18, 2012 @ PHI L 2-3 (OT) 0 2 2 1 6 6 3 24:12
Mar 17, 2012 @ NJD W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 22:34
Mar 15, 2012 @ NYR W 5-2 0 1 1 5 0 2 2 24:22
Feb 29, 2012 @ DAL W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 05:02
Feb 26, 2012 vs CBJ W 4-2 1 0 1 -2 0 5 1 26:29
Feb 25, 2012 vs TBL W 8-1 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 22:55
Feb 21, 2012 vs NYR W 2-0 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 28:41
Feb 19, 2012 @ BUF L 2-6 0 0 0 -4 0 2 0 18:52
Feb 18, 2012 @ PHI W 6-4 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 23:24
Feb 15, 2012 vs ANA L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 4 3 23:43
Feb 12, 2012 vs TBL W 4-2 1 2 3 2 0 2 0 23:11
Feb 11, 2012 vs WPG W 8-5 2 1 3 3 2 3 1 24:45
Feb 7, 2012 @ MTL L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 27:31
Feb 5, 2012 @ NJD L 2-5 0 0 0 -3 0 3 2 22:19
Feb 4, 2012 @ BOS W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 25:51
Feb 1, 2012 @ TOR L 0-1 0 0 0 -1 4 1 3 25:00
Jan 31, 2012 vs TOR W 5-4 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 24:41
Jan 24, 2012 @ STL W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 3 24:27
Jan 22, 2012 vs WSH W 4-3 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 27:09
Jan 20, 2012 vs MTL W 5-4 (SO) 1 1 2 2 2 4 0 28:14
Jan 19, 2012 @ NYR W 4-1 0 1 1 2 0 3 3 24:17
Nov 26, 2011 @ MTL W 4-3 (OT) 1 0 1 2 0 6 5 24:36
Nov 25, 2011 vs OTT W 6-3 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 21:50
Nov 23, 2011 vs STL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 26:48
Nov 21, 2011 vs NYI W 5-0 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 24:09
Nov 19, 2011 @ FLA L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 23:56
Nov 17, 2011 @ TBL L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 4 0 23:33
Nov 15, 2011 vs COL W 6-3 1 1 2 1 0 4 3 24:12
Nov 12, 2011 @ CAR L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 5 1 26:56
Nov 11, 2011 vs DAL W 3-1 0 1 1 -1 0 1 1 26:44
Nov 5, 2011 @ LAK W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 -1 2 2 7 32:33
Nov 3, 2011 @ SJS L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 5 1 33:56
Oct 29, 2011 @ TOR L 3-4 0 2 2 -1 0 4 0 25:56
Oct 27, 2011 vs NYI W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 30:16
Oct 25, 2011 @ NYI W 3-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 4 24:43
Oct 22, 2011 vs NJD W 4-1 0 1 1 0 0 4 2 23:35
Oct 17, 2011 @ WPG L 1-2 0 1 1 0 2 3 2 23:37
Oct 15, 2011 vs BUF L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 23:20
Oct 13, 2011 vs WSH L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 28:04
Oct 11, 2011 vs FLA W 4-2 0 1 1 3 2 2 2 25:48
Oct 9, 2011 @ EDM L 1-2 (SO) 1 0 1 0 0 6 1 29:16
Oct 8, 2011 @ CGY W 5-3 0 2 2 0 2 3 0 25:02
Oct 6, 2011 @ VAN W 4-3 (SO) 0 2 2 1 2 1 2 27:06